


Better Together

by nothlits



Series: Better [2]
Category: Persona 5
Genre: Akechi learns to be loved by his friends, Developing Friendships, Disability, Dissociation, Gen, memory retrieval
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-21
Updated: 2019-07-20
Packaged: 2020-05-16 01:35:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19307962
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nothlits/pseuds/nothlits
Summary: A collection of short side-stories set afterBetter. It's not absolutely necessary to read that first, but it helps.Akechi hangs out with people he thinks he might be able to call his friends someday.Ch 3 - video games with Futaba





	1. Ann

**Author's Note:**

> Like it says in the summary, this is set AFTER one of my other fics, so it helps to read that first. If you don't want to trudge through 50k, but just want some Akechi friendship fluff, the context is:
> 
> Akechi wakes up with amnesia after the Engine Room scene. Ren sets up a heist to get him out of the hospital. He's slowly regaining memories now. The Phantom Thieves have formed a protective circle around him and claimed him tentatively as one of their own.
> 
> As a side note, in this universe Ren is in a relationship with Yusuke, Ryuji, and Mishima.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi and Ann get crepes. Ann is patient. Akechi is appreciative.

Akechi woke up dazed, like he often did, and pulled himself into the tiny bathroom of his apartment to splash some cold water on his face and try to pull himself together. It only worked a little, and he was left with an odd feeling surfacing in his brain. A re-emerging memory, he now knew from experience. The feeling came coupled with the anxiety of knowing that now there was nothing he could do but sit and wait.

A shiver ran through him and he tried to ignore the sense of impending doom as he made himself coffee (nothing in comparison to Ren’s) and settled on his couch under a blanket to try and wake up. Normally, he would go for a bike ride or a jog, but it had gotten so _cold_. He pulled the blanket around him tighter.

His mind was producing some odd thoughts that weren’t quite tangible. He was left craving something very sweet, filled with icing and strawberries and… a _crepe_? Was that what all this was about? He could picture the item in question perfectly now and could practically taste it. Embarrassingly, he thought he might start drooling. 

It wasn’t news to himself that he had an out of control sweet tooth, but it had taken some trial and error to re-remember what exactly his preferences were. Crepes had never come up. Where would he even get one all the way out where he lived now?

He wrestled his other hand free to use his phone. He had made a fool of himself many times around the Phantom Thieves. What was once more?

Take Ur Heart - 8 People  
  
Good morning. I have an odd question.  
Ren  
Morning! What's up?  
Takamaki  
Morningggg!!!  
Ren  
You're up early, Ann.  
Ann  
Early shoot -__-  
Niijima  
Is everything alright, Akechi?  
Yes, everything's fine. I thought I was remembering something, but it turned out to be quite inconsequential.  
Ren  
Nah, tell us.  
I will if you'll just be patient.  
Ren  
:x  
Takamaki  
Yeah ren shut up :/  
Do any of you know where I might have eaten frequently before the incident? I find myself craving a specific food, but I'm unsure where it may have come from or even where to find something similar in this neighborhood.  
Ren  
We met up at this bakery counter in the station in Shibuya a few times, but we didn't ever really talk about food very much.  
Just coffee.  
Takamaki  
What kind of food???  
A crepe?  
Takamaki  
I KNOW WHERE TO GET THE BEST CREPES  
IN THE ENTIRE CITY  
CREPE DATE CREPE DATE CREPE DATE  
Ren  
What have you done lol  
Are you asking me on a date, Takamaki-san?  
Takamaki  
YES!!!!  
Sakamoto  
Don't do it she'll make u pay  
Ren  
Like you have any room to talk about making your date pay.  
Sakamoto  
HEY  
Good morning to u 2 :/  
I don't mind paying. These are sweet crepes, not savory, correct?  
Takamaki  
They have both! But the sweet ones are better imo  
This place does NOT skimp on the toppings either sooooo goooood  
Sakamoto  
I bet ur drooling  
Takamaki  
I am NOT  
That sounds lovely. I would be happy to accompany you.  
Takamaki  
Just call me mr steal ur goro cuz ren I think we're making it official :p  
Ren  
Well, have fun lol  
Takamaki  
Oh we WILL  
Are u free today goro?  
Yes, after I get some errands done.  
Takamaki  
I have this shoot and then it's CREPE TIME BABY  
I look forward to it :)  
Kitagawa  
Good morning. Are we getting lunch?  
Sakamoto  
Just Ann and Akechi  
No food for us singles  
Ren  
Singles. Really.  
Sakamoto  
U busy later :p  
Ren  
No, but just because you made that comment, Yusuke and I are now a package deal.  
Sakamoto  
Oh COME ON  


Akechi set his phone down, deciding the rest of the conversation didn’t concern him. He would let Ren work out his strange harem situation on his own. The two had talked about picking up their relationship where it had left off before both of their lives had become much more complicated, but had decided that it wasn’t what either of them needed at the moment. Akechi was still working through the aftermath and Ren had his hands full balancing the three people he was already seeing. He had told Akechi that if what he really needed was a friend, he was more than happy just to be there for him. More intimate feelings could be set aside. When, and if, they both collectively decided it was the right decision, they could talk about it then.

For now, Akechi felt too frazzled. Friendship was all new to him, let alone intimacy on another level. Even the thought of going out for food with Takamaki was causing him to feel nervous. She had framed it as a romantic outing, but he knew she was only joking. Still, it was new territory. 

Out of all of Ren’s friends, Takamaki was one of the easier to read. She was genuine and friendly and empathetic. She could be loud, but not abrasively like Sakamoto was, and she had more intuitive people skills than Kitagawa. There was still much tension between himself and Okumura that he couldn’t shake, and Niijima-san’s younger sister seemed kind enough, but his walls seemed to clash with hers too often until they were avoiding each other entirely. That left Ren’s younger sister, who was strangely flighty and clung to Ren or Kitagawa subtly whenever Akechi was around. Takamaki felt safest, besides Ren himself.

He finished his coffee, did some chores around his apartment, ran some errands, and arranged a time and place to meet up with Takamaki. He arrived early and was left waiting for a few minutes, fidgeting with his phone and feeling anxious about the small risk he feared he still ran of being recognized and carted off somewhere to be dealt with. He had taken many trips back into the city since his release from the hospital, but it never really got easier. 

He had cut his hair shorter and begun wearing non-prescription glasses in an attempt to avoid being recognized by the few people who might. His reflection still felt foreign whenever he glanced at it in the mirror, and he found himself reaching to run fingers through lengths of hair that no longer existed, but he hoped it would at least give him some peace of mind. So far, it hadn't. 

His thoughts were interrupted by Takamaki approaching him with a loud, but friendly greeting. She looked like she wanted to throw her arms around him, so he stepped away, but then sidled closer again and put an arm loosely around her waist in a quick side-hug.

"Good afternoon, Takamaki-san," He released her again, hoping she was satisfied with the contact he was capable of at the moment. "It's nice to see you, as always." 

She held onto him a little longer than he wanted, but relented when he squirmed away. "Aw, you can just call me Ann, y'know? You call Ren by _his_ first name." 

"That's--" He tried to protest, but quickly gave in. "Yes. Alright. It's nice to see you, Ann." 

"There you go! It's nice to see you too, Goro. You're handsome as ever~ If Ren's not careful, I really am gonna steal you right out from under him." She linked her arm with his and gently tugged him along with her to start walking. 

He stumbled a bit, but allowed her to keep their arms linked. "I assure you I'm in no position to be stolen. Ren and I are just-- just friends now." He stumbled over the word, not because he felt that it was as Ann said, but because claiming anyone in such a way was still difficult for him. "I believe he has his hands full." 

"Yeah, tell me about it," Ann grumbled, pouting. "He's got a claim on like every guy we know. Not that I'm even _interested_ in any of those guys, but come _on_ , give it a rest! Just cuz he's cute and sweet he's got guys all over him. You sure you don't want in on Ren's loverboy collective?" 

Akechi barely laughed. "I do not. Not his or anyone else's." He stumbled again as she pulled him around a corner. "Do you?" 

" _No_ way. Ren and Ryuji are my _best friends_ , and I love 'em to _death_ , but I _so_ couldn't handle all that. I don't think Shiho would be too happy about it, either. Maybe that should've been my first point." She hummed thoughtfully. "Anyway, the point is we're good as friends. I don't wanna know the intricacies of Ren's collection. I just thought _you_ might, cuz… Y'know." 

"I don't. It's… things are too complicated right now. We did talk about it. Obviously, things are a little more complex between he and I now than either of us would like, but there is no possibility of us engaging in that sort of relationship any time soon." He realized Ann was shooting him worried glances every few steps. "What?"

"I just got worried maybe I was being kinda insensitive… I was just teasing you. I don't want you to feel, like, pressured into that sort of thing. You have a lot going on and I'm glad you and Ren are friends. And I'm glad you and me are friends." She pulled him closer by their linked arms briefly. "And I know the memory stuff is hard, so if you need a minute when we get there, just lemme know and we can sit somewhere quieter til you feel better, okay?"

"I… Yes, thank you." His voice sounded a bit off, so he swallowed and then spoke again. "That's considerate of you." 

"Of course! We're friends, Goro, you're gonna get all my consideration. Whether you like it or not." 

Akechi smiled down at their feet, and they continued the rest of the way making small talk. They came up to a small crepe stand with a long line. Akechi braced himself, but still had to squeeze his eyes shut as he started to feel dizzy and distant. Ann noticed and held onto his arm loosely to keep him balanced. 

He should have been used to this feeling by now, but each time it was equally unpleasant. Even something as innocuous as a crepe stand he had frequented was making his head spin as memories started to creep back into focus from his mind's depths. He blinked several times rapidly and tried to shake away the fog, but he quickly realized he would be stuck waiting this out. 

Ann kept her grip on his arm and steered him over to an unoccupied table against a wall and had him sit. She sat opposite him and pulled her bag around herself, extracting a water bottle and handing it over. He slowly took it, and held it in his hand, but just stared at it. 

"Goro," Ann kept her voice low. "Drink some water." 

He nodded, but just continued staring. His brain went through the motions, but he couldn't make his hands follow. Ann gently removed the bottle from his grip, opened it for him, and then handed it back. That seemed to remove the roadblock on his brain, and he sipped at it slowly. 

Some time passed. It was impossible for him to know how much, but he started to feel more coherent. His thoughts started sticking again, and he felt okay, if a bit confused. He handed the water back to Ann and blinked a few times before making eye contact.

“My apologies. I believe I’m okay now.” His voice came out steady enough and he managed a smile. Initially, he had been extremely embarrassed by every minor incidence of unwanted recall, but now it was only disorienting. The only response he had ever gotten from any of the others was concern and support. That had been enough to push his own feelings in a different direction.

“It’s all good! I knew it was probably coming, so…” Ann took her water bottle and stuck it back in her bag, then gave him a big smile. “Wanna eat? Still super excited about this crepe?”

Akechi gave her a bigger smile in return. “Honestly, it’s been all I’ve been able to give much thought to since this morning. The one I’ve been picturing has strawberries and an icing inside with syrup across the top. Chocolate, I think?” 

“That’s the same one I get!” Ann lit up at the revelation and squirmed in her seat happily. “I can go order if you wanna sit here and rest. The line’s kinda long but it usually moves pretty fast.” 

"Yes, I think I'd appreciate that." He pulled out his wallet and handed the entire thing over to her, an act of trust he wouldn't have dreamed of for so long. "Get whatever you'd like."

Ann practically dashed away, exclaiming "I'm gonna buy the whole stand!" 

Akechi just chuckled to himself and sat at the small table, smiling off into the distance. His head was still clearing up, but he was at least grateful that the memories he was being forced to recall were pleasant ones. All the times he came here after school on his way to work, the times he woke up early on a Sunday and substituted a heaping portion of sugar for a proper breakfast as a treat, the lingering desire to invite Ren out with him. 

That, he knew now, was foolish and would not have been novel to Ren at all with how close he was to Ann. It wouldn't have been anything new to him. But, at the time it had been a persistent and ignored wish locked away in the back of his mind. A want for companionship. 

He had Ren's company now, in a way he wouldn't have been able to imagine, and that was what mattered. And he also had Ann's. He thought, not for the first time, that he and Ann could form a deeper bond. She was easy to talk to. She listened and was patient, but she was also fiery and protective. She had snapped at Sakamoto on multiple occasions for Akechi's sake. 

He could see himself really being friends with her. And if the way she spoke was any indication of her feelings, it seemed like she thought they already were. He looked up and saw her give him an overenthusiastic grin and a peace sign with the hand holding his wallet and he gave her a small wave and a smile back. 

He could get used to this if he tried.

He felt his phone buzz in his pocket and pulled it out, expecting to be alerted to more playful bickering in the group chat. Instead, he had a single message from Ren. 

Ren Amamiya  
  
Hey, is Ann being nice?  
Yes, of course. Was there any doubt that she would be?  
I mean, not really. But she can come on strong sometimes and I know she was joking about it being a date.  
I don't want you to feel like that's how it has to be or whatever.  
I believe she's well aware that something of the sort would never work out between she and I.  
Harsh!  
By no personal failings of her own, just... My own preference.  
Right, yeah.  
I don't wanna take up all your time when you're with her, I just wanted to check in and tell you if she's being too much just tell her to cut it out. Not that I think you need help being blunt with people.  
Now who's being harsh?  
I didn't mean it in a bad way!  
Of course.  
Anyway, have funnnn. Enjoy your crepes and your Ann.  
That I will.  


Ann quickly returned with two large, extravagant crepes in hand. 

"For you!" She offered up one to Akechi and he took it, eyes wide. "Hope you're hungry!" 

"I had forgotten how… large these were. Perhaps we should have split one." He examined the crepe from multiple angles, unsure of the best way to begin eating it. 

Ann hadn't deliberated at all and had started attacking hers immediately. "Nah, I can knock out like three of these on my own. I guess that's good news for you cuz if you don't finish it I'll definitely be happy with your leftovers!" 

Akechi held his crepe in one hand and angled his phone in the other, being careful not to catch Ann in the background of the photo he took. Since losing and having to re-work his way through most of his memories, he had been making sure to capture photographic evidence of his life. Just in case. The others had teased him, implying that he was going to become an Instagram influencer, whatever that meant, but Ann was always happy to see him documenting, and was defensive of him when she needed to be. 

"Let's take one together!" Ann scooted her chair around to sit closer to Akechi and leaned in to his personal space, holding her own crepe to herself.

He obliged her, angling the camera up and leaning his head in closer to her so they were both smiling up, posing with their food. He had to admit that it came out cute. Ann urged him to send it to her, so he did. 

She stayed seated on his side of the table and they were both quieter while they ate. By the time Ann had inhaled her crepe, Akechi had only eaten half of his and Ann was happily tapping away on her phone. 

She made an excited squeal and turned her phone so he could see a photo of a very extravagant looking dessert spread. "We should go here sometime! It's pretty pricey but _look at that cake_!" 

Akechi had to admit that it looked good. "I might be too afraid to eat such a thing. The craftsmanship is incredible…" He examined the photo closer, tilting his head and raising his free hand to his chin.

" _Ugh_ , you sound like _Yusuke_ ," Ann groaned. "C'mon, go with me!" She gripped Akechi's arm and shook him gently until he laughed and pushed her off.

"Of course, of course. I will, yes. A second date?" 

"A second date!" Ann returned his laugh enthusiastically. "You're so cool." 

"Yes, I know--"

"And full of yourself!" Ann swatted his arm playfully and made him laugh harder. "None of the others will go with me to stuff like this. They just make fun of me, cuz I guess I'm not supposed to eat like that, cuz… y'know. The modeling stuff." She rested her cheek on her hand, pouting. 

"Because you're pretty." Akechi mimicked her posture with his free hand.

"Flatterer! But yeah, I guess. Like, haha, look at Ann, she's a model but all she's eating is cake and sweets, she's gonna get fat, or whatever. They all think it's hilarious. I'm supposed to fit some beauty queen image. I'm just a person, y'know?" 

"I do know. And if you would ever like a companion in your dessert-related expeditions, I would be happy to join you. You make good company. I have no complaints." He shoved the last bit of his crepe in his mouth to shut himself up before he embarrassed himself further. 

Ann took a moment to take in what he'd said, then looked like she might cry. He looked away and tried to keep a neutral expression on his face.

"Can I hug you?" She held her arms out, brows furrowed and a sad smile on her face. 

He hesitated, pushing off the panic trying to settle in on him at the threat of being boxed in, but then remembered that, in recent memory, physical touch had been overwhelmingly pleasant, and nodded. 

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in close, chin resting on his shoulder. "You're a good friend, Goro… I'm so glad you're here. I know we've all taken turns telling you that, but…" She pulled back and held his face in her hands, smiling more kindly now. "I'm really, really glad." She patted his cheek, then released him.

He sat stunned for a moment, then looked away and nodded. "Yes, I… I feel similarly." 

"Good!" Ann went back to her bubbly self and leaned back into her chair, away from Akechi's personal space. "Let's go walk around and windowshop for a while." 

She stood and brushed some crumbs off her skirt, then stretched her arms up above her head. Akechi took their trash to be disposed of, and came back to Ann holding out his wallet for him.

"Oh, right. You could have mugged me, had you tried a bit harder." He took the wallet and tucked it safely back into his pocket. 

"Nah, I would never." She linked their arms again and pulled him away from the table. "C'mon, we've got some shopping to do." 

* * *

Take Ur Heart - 8 People  
  
Sakamoto  
So Akechi  
Did Ann bankrupt u yet  
Haha, she did not. Though she did almost steal my wallet.  
Ann  
I gave it back!!!  
U gave it to me first!!!!  
Ren  
Stealing wallets instead of hearts, Ann?  
I assure you, she has stolen my heart as well.  
Sakura  
OOOOOOOHH  
Kinda weird but I can ship it  
Ren  
He's just kidding.  
I think?  
Sakamoto  
U jealous or somethin?  
Ann  
OMG  
Goro ur so sweet  
Sakura  
First name basis too! Something happened here...  
Ren  
I am not jealous, I'm happy my friends had fun on their totally serious date.  
Only a joke. My heart remains locked away securely. You'll have to try a bit harder.  
Sakura  
Should've mugged him when you had the chance :/  
Ann  
Well u already promised me a second date!  
Kitagawa  
Ah, love is in the air...  
Ren  
Your love for me, I hope.  
Kitagawa  
Well, yes. But I'm more interested in this new development unfolding before us. It has the makings of a beautiful romance.  
Sakura  
Inari can you read  
Kitagawa  
Yes, I can read quite well.  
Sakura  
I don't think Ann is Akechi's type...  
Ren  
She's not.  
Ann  
Can't win em all!  
And what would you know about my type?  
Ren  
Hmm...  
Sakamoto  
Ew  
Ren  
Be nice.  
Ann is regretfully not my type, but she does make a lovely lunch date.  
Sakamoto  
Do u wanna buy us all lunch  
I'll pretend to date u 2 lol  
Well, if you would like to have a meal together sometime, I might be open to the suggestion.  
No dating facade necessary.  
Sakamoto  
Oh hell yeah  
U don't gotta pay for me tho I'm just messin with u  
Ren  
How sweet. Ryuji paying for his own meals.  
Sakamoto  
HEY  
Ren  
:p  
Sakura  
EWW. Is RYUJI your type?????  
Sakamoto  
HEY!!!  
I had a lovely time today, but I do have some other matters that demand my attention this evening. I bid you all a good night.  
Ann  
Gn goro! I had a good time 2!  
Ren  
Goodnight. Glad you two had fun.  
Sakamoto  
See u soon for our "date" lol  
Sakura  
It's like 7 are you an old man  
Kitagawa  
Pleasant dreams.  



	2. Ryuji

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akechi and Ryuji go bouldering. Ryuji is reminded of the past. Akechi looks forward to the future.

“This ain’t exactly what I had in mind when you agreed to hang out.” Sakamoto pulled his bag closer over his shoulder and eyed Akechi warily. 

“And why not? Was I mistaken in assuming you were the athletic type?” Akechi walked farther into the gym, making sure Sakamoto followed behind him. He did, but at a distance.

“Well, yeah, I mean I am, but-- but not like-- _rock climbing_.” Sakamoto’s eyes were darting around, taking in their surroundings. 

Past the check-in area, there were several large, oddly shaped rock walls with hundreds of footholds sticking out from them at varying heights and angles. The sight filled Akechi with excitement, but Sakamoto seemed more put off than he had expected. Ren had told him that Sakamoto was athletic and Akechi knew from experience that he had a lot of pent up energy. He had thought that something active would be a good choice for an outing together. Now he was second guessing himself.

They both got changed in the locker room and Akechi watched Sakamoto continue surveying their surroundings like he wasn’t sure where to start. 

“So do we just… climb it?” He kept giving Akechi puzzled glances that made him laugh. “Don’t laugh at me, dude. I’ve never done this before.” Akechi got a small shove for his misbehavior.

“My apologies! No need for violence.” He managed to stop laughing, but couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. “Yes, just pick a boulder and start climbing. I can spot you if you’d like.” 

“Yeah, uh, that might be for the best.” Sakamoto wandered over to one of the smaller walls that wasn’t crowded by many people. “I like this boulder.” He put a palm against it, eyes on Akechi.

“That’s a nice boulder.” Akechi nodded in agreement and hopped up onto one of the ledges like it was nothing. He pulled himself up along the wall with ease, then looked back down at Sakamoto once he was mostly horizontal along a curve, hair falling into his eyes. “It’s not hard.”

“You’re like-- You’re like Spiderman or some shit. You don’t _look_ that agile.” Sakamoto rubbed his hands on his thighs, then tentatively placed a hand on the wall and began climbing up slowly. He seemed nervous still. Akechi stayed in place where he was, watching.

“You could say I have a lot of practice. It isn’t much different than scaling the wall of a Palace. I suppose your team may not have done such things. It’s harder to do with a group than as one person when it comes to stealth.” He watched Sakamoto nearly slip and began quickly easing himself back down to his level. “Do you need me to spot you?” 

“Nah, I’m good. I got it. If I fall and bust my ass it’s my own fault.” He climbed up higher, a bit more sure of himself now than he had been before. “This is actually kinda cool. You gotta actually think about how you’re gonna go up instead of just goin’ at it. Course you’d be into stuff like that, huh?”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.” Akechi picked his pace back up and quickly swung himself up to the very top of the wall. He held himself there and watched Sakamoto climb faster to catch up with him. “Your form is off. You need to use your legs more instead of just pulling yourself up. You’ll strain your arms that way.” Sakamoto looked down at hs legs, then reached up to the next hold and kicked off with his leg instead of pulling. He grinned. “That’s better.”

“Feels better.” He went quiet as he finally reached the top, pausing to rest next to Akechi and looking out over the gym. “There, done.” He was a bit out of breath, but he looked pleased.

“Now you go higher.” Akechi motioned to another, much taller wall with the hand he wasn’t using to hold on, then let himself drop off the wall, landing on his feet easily. 

“ _Dude_ ,” Sakamoto cried out in disbelief. “You’re like a _cat_!” He tried his best to scramble down the wall, and jumped off when he was halfway down so he only fell a few feet. 

“Am I a cat or Spiderman?” Akechi began walking over to one of the bigger walls in the middle of the open space and put a hand on a foothold while he waited for Sakamoto to join him. 

“Uh, both. Some weird mutant hybrid who’s really good at climbin’ shit.” 

As if to prove a point, Akechi began climbing up, making sure to show off some by doing more elaborate leaps from point to point than was strictly necessary. If Sakamoto thought he was impressive, then he should give him a show. 

He heard Sakamoto mumble "Showoff…" from below him and laughed. 

He paused and peered down at him, watching his form. He was using his legs more now, but was favoring his left and still using his arms to pull himself up whenever his weight shifted onto the right out of necessity. However, instead of uncertainty, his expression was now filled with the determination Akechi expected of an athlete rising up to a new challenge placed in front of him. Akechi stayed where he was and waited for him to catch up.

"Sakamoto-kun," He called down. Sakamoto pulled himself up once more, then looked over. "You need to distribute your weight more evenly." 

"I, uh," He groaned as he swung himself up to Akechi's level. "I can't." 

That was puzzling. Akechi looked down between them to analyze Ryuji's posture. Even now while still, he was putting the bulk of his weight on his left leg. 

"Because you aren't sure how to, or because you cannot physically do it?" Akechi began climbing again, but slower now. 

"Physically, I can't." Sakamoto followed close behind at a similar pace. "Hurts too much." 

"Use your toes on the footholds, not the soles of your feet." Akechi watched him adjust again and saw the relief flicker across his face. "Is this painful? We can stop." 

"Nah, 's fine right now, I just know if I push it I'm gonna pay for it later." He picked up his pace to try and catch up, but Akechi sped up as well, easily scrambling up the wall as his mind calculated the most efficient path. "You're gonna be up the wall and back down before I can even reach the top." 

Akechi laughed, but didn't slow down. He had recalled some time ago that this was how he had let out pent up frustration before he had gotten so busy with the Metaverse. He hadn't expected for his experience scaling walls to come in handy in such a specific way, but it had. More than once, he had utilized it in Palaces to find a discrete route of entry. Of course, the Metaverse emphasized the Persona user's expected physical abilities, but having the real-world knowledge must have helped influence that.

When he had almost reached the top, he heard a pained noise from several meters below him and looked down to see Sakamoto wincing and balancing himself on one leg. He hurriedly lowered himself back down to his level. 

"Everything alright?" 

"Ugh-- Yeah, but-- I think I gotta tap out. Sorry." He started to ease himself back down the wall using only one leg, and Akechi followed next to him, watching closely. 

"It's alright. Take it slow." 

Akechi dropped himself down from the last several feet and stood waiting for Sakamoto to come down. He stumbled when he stepped off the lowest platform and Akechi grabbed his arms to steady him. 

"Thanks. Sorry about that." He put a hand on the wall to lean against it while they both caught their breath. 

"I still owe you a meal. Would eating together be preferable to more physical activity?" Akechi pushed his own hair back off his forehead. Sakamoto appeared to be less distressed now that he was back down on the ground.

"Yeah, I mean you don't owe me shit, but I'll eat with you, yeah." He stood up straighter from the wall and winced when he put pressure on his leg. 

They both showered and changed and when Akechi emerged from the gym, Sakamoto was sitting on a bench on his phone waiting. He looked up when Akechi approached. 

"Hey," he shoved his phone in his pocket and stood. "How's sushi sound? My treat since I had to cut your weird Spiderman shit short." 

"I'll accept. But I'll get you back next time." 

“So you’re promising me a second date too? You’re gonna give Ren some competition.”

Sakamoto led him to a small sushi place nearby. He was only minimally limping now compared to how severe it had been at first. He was able to laugh and make small talk, so it must not have been too severe. Still, Akechi was curious. 

Once they were seated and waiting on their orders, he bit the bullet. 

“I apologize. I seem to have picked an ill-fitting activity. Is your leg injured?” He rested his chin on his hand on the table and watched Sakamoto fiddle with a laminated drink menu, turning it over and over in his hands.

“Sorta.” He fanned himself with the menu. “I shoulda said somethin’ before, I just… don’t really like thinkin’ about it.” He set the menu down and picked at its edge. “You remember the Kamoshida incident, right?” 

Akechi nodded. 

“Yeah, that was, uh, personal for me. Shattered my femur into pieces. Took me outta track for good.” 

Akechi made what he hoped was a sympathetic noise. 

“Yeah, they did surgery an’ shit, and it supposedly healed up okay, but… They said it’s prolly gonna mess with me for the rest of my life. I just can’t put too much stress on it, or it starts hurtin’ pretty bad.” 

“How despicable of a person…” Akechi felt his chest tighten at the mere thought of such a thing and he realized he was scowling down at the table. He had heard about Kamoshida's acts, but at this point the details had been lost. It felt like it had happened in another lifetime. It hadn't occurred to him that Sakamoto had faced physical violence at his hands. 

"It's in the past. He's paid his dues." He managed half a smile. "But thanks. It's still gratifying to hear someone else say that." 

"If I had remembered, I wouldn't have suggested something so dependent on leg muscle…" Akechi kept his eyes down on the table. He should have known, logically. But like so many other things in the past year, it had slipped through the still healing cracks in his memories. This was far from the first time he had felt such guilt. And then the guilt intensified as a realization struck him. "I would hate for you to think that I… would do something like that on purpose. To… to show off, or… I really had no idea, I--" 

"Nah, man, c'mon, it's fine," Sakamoto gave him an encouraging grin. His smiles always felt so contagious that Akechi couldn't help but give him a small one in return. "That didn't even cross my mind. You just wanted us to do somethin' fun together, yeah? Nothin' wrong with that. Maybe way back then, I woulda thought you were tryin' to pull somethin', but… I'm startin' to think Ren was right about you." He looked away sheepishly.

"What do you mean by that? Please enlighten me on Ren Amamiya's analysis of my character." Akechi grinned across the table, chin propped on his hand again.

"Oh, like you _don't know_ ," Sakamoto choked out a laugh and took a big gulp of his water. "He's just always been on about how you're not a bad guy and you just try really hard to seem impressive and you're actually real _sensitive_ and just needed a chance to open up and _blah blah blah_. I'm not gonna stroke your ego." 

Akechi felt his cheeks flush and he picked up his own water to try and hide it. He took a few sips while he prayed for the blood to rush back to where it belonged, then set it down gently and cleared his throat. "He always has such interesting things to say." 

"Yeah, until you catch him off guard and he doesn't have somethin' cool prepared and he starts doin' that nervous laughter shit. Nerdy ass." Sakamoto sounded annoyed, but he was clearly unable to stop smiling as he spoke. "He was always jumpin' to your defense though. Mostly to me. I guess I owe you an apology." 

"I think we've all apologized to each other more than enough for this or any lifetime." Akechi's voice sank and he pursed his lips. 

The first few months newly acquainted with the former Phantom Thieves had been rife with apologies he never felt were adequate and many instances of Ren falling all over himself to apologize for every misstep he even thought he might have taken, any event that may have led up to… that. He and Ren had at least come to an agreement that they were done apologizing. 

"I'm just tryin' to say I had the wrong idea about you. Back then, I never would've thought you'd be someone I could just talk to like this, but we get along pretty well, huh?" He gave another one of those infectious grins. "Cheer up, you're gettin' free sushi." 

"I suppose I'm being a bit of a depressing date, aren't I?" Akechi quietly laughed to himself and resolved to keep the mood lighter on his end. "Did you end up going out with Ren and Kitagawa-kun the other day? When Ann and I had our outing?" 

"Wh-- Oh, yeah, well, not really. We all just hung out at my place for a while. Not much of a date. Not like _this_." He raised an eyebrow. "Nothin' like hangin' out watchin' infomercials with your boyfriend and _his_ boyfriend and gettin' popcorn thrown at you. Popcorn that I made for them!" 

Akechi couldn't hold in his laughter.

"Are you laughin' at the infomercials or the popcorn? Because both are effin' ridiculous."

Sakamoto was interrupted by their orders being brought out. Akechi restrained himself enough to thank the waiter, then put a hand over his mouth, grinning. 

"I was just like, do we really need to sit here and watch an hour long spiel about _blenders_ or is there somethin' else on the other hundred channels? Ren's like," Ryuji put on a deeper inflection, a poor impersonation of Ren. " _You're no fun, you don't understand the entertainment value of long-form informative commercials_. This sets Yusuke off on this tangent about the _artistic integrity of non-fiction televised media_ or what-the-hell-ever, and then they're both throwin' popcorn at me--" 

Akechi snorted into his hand in a very undignified way and set Sakamoto off in response until they were both cackling and drawing the attention of the tables around them. The stares forced Akechi to calm himself down until they were both left teary-eyed, breathing a bit heavily, and smiling at each other. 

Sakamoto began eating to keep himself quiet and Akechi did the same.

"Y'know," Sakamoto spoke with his mouth full, but then swallowed before continuing. "You seem really relaxed nowadays. You're feelin' pretty good? I've never seen you laugh like that before." 

"I, ah… I hadn't thought about it, but…" Akechi poked at his food with his chopsticks. "Yes, I think so. Things are much calmer for me now than I can recall them being in times past. A part-time job and a few classes sits easier than three highly demanding jobs and school life on top of public scrutiny ever did." 

"Yeah, geez. Must feel like a vacation comparatively, huh?" 

"Sometimes. There's a lot of time to fill that I never quite realized existed back then. I didn't have downtime after a point. I convinced myself that it was for a greater goal, but the truth seems to be that my time was no longer my own." He put a piece of sushi in his mouth and chewed slowly, thinking. "I didn't mean to drag the conversation down again. That existence of time to fill has been a blessing, as it's led me to situations like this. I ate most of my meals alone for the majority of my life, so this is still new and enjoyable for me. So, thank you for having me." 

Sakamoto looked very put off by something he had just said, like he might start crying, and he couldn't pinpoint exactly what he had done to warrant that response. 

"Dude… Yeah, of course. Anything you don't wanna do alone, you got all of us. Whatever it is. All of us have been alone at some point, but none of us _have_ to be anymore. That includes you." He pointed his chopsticks at Akechi before continuing eating. 

Akechi smiled down at his dinner, trying to sort through his thoughts and emotions. It was still hard to see himself as one of them. He felt like an add-on, an afterthought, someone brought in out of pity like a stray with nowhere else to go. Ren had tried his best to ever so gently drill it into him that he was welcome and valued, but even Joker couldn't undo a lifetime of isolation and traumatic upbringing. 

But Sakamoto seemed so hurt by even the mention of his prior lonely existence. He didn't seem the type to feign concern. In the time they had known each other, he had been unabashedly upfront about his emotions and intentions, to the point that Akechi found his bold nature terrifying to deal with at times. 

Like with everything else, he just needed time. Looking back, he had already come so far from flinching away and snarling at anything he might perceive as affection, from hastily spoken cold words to fend off Ren's unfaltering warmth. Now he was laughing with another human being over sushi and being told that his time alone was fully optional rather than a mandatory life sentence. 

It felt nice. 

Their conversation skewed to light-hearted topics again as they finished their meal and paid. Sakamoto put an arm around his shoulder in a half-hug before they parted and reminded him that he had promised a second date sometime in the future. 

Akechi looked forward to it.


	3. Futaba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Futaba and Akechi play video games. Futaba gets some insight. Akechi relaxes.

Akechi had arranged to meet up with Ren at Leblanc before heading out to see a movie and get dinner together. He arrived early and was warmly greeted by the shop's owner, who offered him a coffee on the house. He politely declined, but had one forced on him as he sat down at a booth to wait. 

"The kid should be back soon. He's usually home around this time." Sojiro set the mug down in front of him. "You two have plans?" 

"Ah, thank you." Akechi gave him a polite smile. "Yes, we were planning to go out for a while this evening and--" 

He was cut off by a loud clap of thunder, a sudden onset of rain against the windows, and the door busting open with a shriek too high-pitched to be Ren's. 

Futaba hurtled into the cafe, already soaked and flailing her arms. "It wasn't supposed to _rain_!" She flung some water in Akechi's direction and he flinched. "Is Ren upstairs?" She completely ignored Akechi's presence and started walking towards the stairs. 

"Not home yet. Here," Sojiro handed her a kitchen towel and she worked on drying her hair. "Probably won't be home for a while now with this weather." 

"He was supposed to take me to _dinner_!" Futaba whined while wringing out her hair. 

"My apologies for interrupting, but are you certain Ren was supposed to take you for dinner _tonight_?" Akechi eyed her nervously from his seat. He was never sure how to act around her. She always seemed so flighty, so ready to bolt. 

"Yeah, we were supposed to go see a movie and get dinner together." She paused, and stared at him. "Wait, why are _you_ here?" 

Akechi chuckled to himself, eyes down on his coffee. "I suppose we've both been set up." 

Futaba frowned and seemed frustrated with that response. "What a jerk. I'm gonna kill him." She pulled off her soaked through jacket and hung it over a barstool, then hugged her arms close to her chest. "What, did he like, forget? Or is he trying to pull something?" 

Sojiro pushed a warm, but very light-colored coffee across the bar towards her. "You're going to catch a cold." 

"Probably! And it'll be Ren's fault." She took a sip of the coffee, then abruptly turned and disappeared upstairs. 

Akechi just stared down at the table, assuming he had scared her off. She always clung to either Ren or Kitagawa whenever he was around, and neither of them were present to provide her with a shield. It should have been expected that she would run away in the absence of security. 

A feeling of deep self-loathing settled over him. He felt that most of the Phantom Thieves viewed him as a non-threat these days, like a defanged snake or a muzzled dog, devoid of the situation that had once made him dangerous, but there were times when he was forced to confront that it wasn't necessarily true. He had tried to be well-behaved, to keep mostly to himself and be unobtrusive at all times, knowing full well that he deserved any ire directed at him, but it was still hard to feel so sidelined. 

He was drawn back to reality by his phone buzzing in his pocket.

Ren Amamiya  
  
Hey, I'm so sorry for being late. The weather is delaying the trains and I don't have an umbrella either so it's going to take me longer than I thought to get home.  
Your little plan has been found out.  
Oh. Whoops!  
Do you think you're sneaky?  
Sometimes :p  
Are you upset?  
Yes, but not at you.  
Aww, I just wanted us to all 3 hang out. I thought it would be fun.  
She doesn't like me.  
She just needs some time to get to know you better. She's really shy, but I think she'll warm up to you if she gets the chance.  
She ran away from me.  
What? To where?  
Your attic.  
Oh, she'll be back. She was just texting me about something. She's not running away.  
Alright. Can I still expect to see you for some time this evening?  
Yeah, of course. I'd rather not go out, but we can watch something in my room if you want to. I'll try to be back as soon as I can.  
Be seeing you.

He heard the stairs creaking, and Futaba returned downstairs, now wearing a much too large hoodie Akechi recognized as one of Ren's and carrying a portable game console in her hand. She took her coffee from the bar and slid into the booth across from Akechi, pulling her knees up to her chin and staring at him. 

He looked away and tried to keep a smile on his face. "Ren said he'll be a bit late returning home. If you'd like, I can step out until he's arrived." 

"If you wanna go swimming out there, be my guest." She opened the console she had brought down with her and directed her attention to that instead. "It's not supposed to stop for like four hours."

"Unfortunate that none of us had the foresight to check the forecast before arranging plans." He sipped his coffee, and tried to keep his eyes off of her, not wanting to scare her off again.

"Ren probably did this on purpose." 

Akechi glanced over at Sojiro and saw he was focused on the TV on the wall. "Do you suppose he's trying to set us up?"

"No offense, but _ew_!" Futaba grimaced at her screen. "Aren't you two basically married anyway?" 

Akechi choked on his coffee and coughed into his arm several times while Futaba cackled. "Excuse me?" He finally got it together enough to speak, though his voice still came out choked. 

"I mean, saving each other's lives? All that stuff you said about wishing you had met sooner? He's super grossly crazy about you. Just get married already." She didn't look up from her game.

"He has his hands full. We are absolutely not… _married_ , or otherwise romantically involved." He cleared his throat and took another sip of coffee to regain control of his voice. 

"He's like a mutant with like, eight hands. There's room for you in there somewhere. He's like an octopus. Eventually he's going to ensnare our entire group in his tentacles. Somehow." 

Akechi couldn't piece together a response to that. Everyone seemed so intent on seeing himself and Ren together that they had both quickly become tired of that conversation. There was only so much to say about such a complicated situation. They were not involved and they just wanted to leave it at that. Except no one else seemed to want to. 

They sat in silence for several minutes while Akechi prayed Ren would walk in the door, but he never did. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.

"What game are you playing…?" He tried to sound genuinely interested and pushed down the anxiety threatening to creep into his tone.

"Animal Crossing," She gave a short answer, took a long pause, then spoke up again when he didn't say anything else. "It's a life sim. With collecting and decorating and stuff like that. It's cute." 

"Oh," He felt more at ease now that he had her talking. "I've never really played a video game. They always seemed like they would add more stress to my life and it wasn't something I needed any more of."

"Yeah, you're super strung out all the time." She barely looked at him over her glasses. "This one's really relaxing. You might like it. Might help you chill out." 

He tried to laugh at that, but it just came out as a quiet cough. "Maybe so." 

They both fell silent again until she reached across the table and offered the console to him. "Here, try it. I stole Ren's copy, so you can make your own person and see if you like it. He won't care." 

"Oh! Ah, are you sure? I don't want to be invasive, or--" 

"Play the game!" Futaba pushed the console at him until he relented and took it from her.

He looked over the buttons and screens, trying to assess what was what. Hesitantly, he followed the prompt on-screen and began reading along. He was immediately taken by the cuteness of the graphics and by how relaxing the music was. He spaced out for some time, focused solely on getting himself acquainted with the array of animals residing in Ren's virtual town. He noted that there were several cats. 

Futaba offered advice when he seemed confused and it was the most lit up he had seen her in any of their time spent together. Maybe Ren was right about her just needing time to warm up. 

Just as she was teaching him the basics of gathering fruit, the door to Leblanc finally swung open and Ren stepped inside, looking half-drowned. 

Sojiro wordlessly handed him a kitchen towel, just like he had for Futaba, and he cleaned off his glasses with it, smiling. 

"Hey, sorry. Guess our plans are gonna have to change a bit." He patted his face dry and then put his glasses back on. "I'm gonna dry off and change, but then we can see what we can get up to." He gently touched Akechi's arm on his way by the table, then went upstairs.

Futaba raised an eyebrow at him and he pretended not to notice. 

She taught him how to save his progress and he shut the game off in time to have Ren return downstairs to work out plans. They decided to all settle into the attic to watch a movie together over food they had delivered. Futaba seemed to cling to Ren less than usual and Akechi felt more at ease than he had in times past.

* * *

A few days later, Akechi made a decision to purchase a console of his own and a copy of the game Futaba had showed him. The time he had spent playing it had been enjoyable, and maybe she would be right about it being a way to help him relax. He could certainly use that. 

Before he knew it, he had become completely absorbed within the game’s charms. He spent hours before bed each night catching up with his little town and quickly became attached to its inhabitants. He had to admit that he did feel more at peace now than he had in the past. He had something calming to look forward to each night. Ordinarily, he would read a book, but his taste in novels wasn’t exactly relaxing. A murder-mystery before bed only served to amp his thoughts up even more. 

He supposed he owed Futaba a thank you. They didn’t cross paths physically often, but he knew from experience that she was always glued to her phone or a computer of some kind. She shouldn’t be hard to reach.

Futaba Sakura  
  
Sakura-san, thank you for introducing me to this video game. I went out and purchased a copy for myself and I have been thoroughly enjoying it. You were correct about it providing a sense of relaxation.  
EWW  
Sakura-san is SOJIRO  
Call me FUTABA you weirdo  
And you're welcome I'm usually right :p  
Right, my apologies, Futaba-san.  
Akechi-chan uwu  
Excuse me?  
Yeah that's how I feel  
Just FUTABA  
Alibaba if you're feeling bold B)  
I'm afraid I'm not.  
Coward  
Well tell me about your grand acnl adventures  
Who's your fav villager what's your house look like etc etc  
Ironic as it is, I'm quite taken with a little bird named Robin. I find her attitude on life to be refreshing.  
Jfc what have I gotten into  
What?  
Nothing go on  
Alright. My house isn't coming together as cohesively as I would like, but I am trying to keep to a classy, sophisticated theme. The chaos I witnessed just seeing one room of Ren's house has perturbed me.  
Yeah he's terrible  
Just a hoarder of shiny objects like some sort of mongoose  
I don't think mongeese hoard shiny objects. You may be thinking of crows, or ferrets.  
Nope Ren is definitely a mongoose  
He is deceptively soft-looking for his sometimes vicious personality, yes.  
Please just get married already and spare me  
I'll have to pass.  
Suit yourself I'm sure one of his horde will snatch him up sooner or later  
My bets are on Inari  
That's perfectly fine. May I ask you some questions?  
Knock yourself out  
I need some assistance locating a particular fish, but I have been having some trouble. Do you know where I might find an ocean sunfish?  
Uh yeah  
In the ocean  
Duh  
I have been patrolling the beaches in my town for some time now and I have yet to encounter one.  
You are so clueless  
Just come over and I'll show you how to REALLY play this game  
That can be arranged. I appreciate the help.

Akechi made his way over to Leblanc the next evening at Futaba’s request. He found the shop mostly empty, with one pair of customers sitting at a booth near the back. Futaba was sitting in the booth closest to the door and she glanced up to acknowledge him when he entered, then went back to looking at her phone. Sojiro gave him a nod but nothing else.

He slid himself into the booth across from Futaba and smiled at her. “Hello, good evening.”

“Hey,” She glanced up again, then back down. “You ready to get schooled?” 

“Of course,” He took his console out of his bag and set it on the table in front of him. “I hope to be a good student.” 

“You are so insufferable.” Futaba kept her eyes on her phone for another few seconds, finished up whatever she was doing, then set it down and patted her jacket pockets, searching. “I know I brought it with me-- There.” She extracted her own from a hidden inner pocket. It was covered in stickers and had a collection of charms hanging off of it. It jingled when she moved.

Akechi tried not to take her comments to heart. Ren had explained more than once that although Futaba came off as rude, it was often a sign of either underlying anxiety or an attempt to mask true affection. After seeing how abrasively she interacted with Kitagawa, he had been surprised to learn that the two of them were extremely close friends and not at all at odds with one another. Their communication styles were simply different than what he was used to. So he tried to just smile politely and let her harsh words slide off of him. For now, he felt he was on her good side, and he intended to try and keep it that way.

They sat quietly while they both started up their games, but Akechi looked up from his to see Futaba looking at him expectantly. He raised an eyebrow.

“Gimme your friend code.” She motioned for him to hand his console over to her, so he did. “We need to add each other as friends so I can come roast you for how noobish your town is.” She tapped away at both of their screens, then handed his back.

“I apologize for not having years of experience on this game I only bought last week.” 

“Well, it’s not _my_ fault you were living under a rock! I’m surprised you even know how to use your phone cuz you act like an old man all the time.” 

Akechi quietly, nervously laughed and went to tuck some non-existent hair behind his ear. It was an old habit he couldn’t seem to break. “I wasn’t exactly afforded much of a childhood.” He tried to keep his tone light.

“Way to kill the mood.” Futaba frowned over her glasses at him, and they both fell silent for several minutes until she quietly spoke up again. “I mean I wasn’t either. Sorry. I didn’t mean to be mean about it.” 

“It’s alright. I’m sorry to hear that--”

“Don’t act like Ren hasn’t already told you everything.” She seemed frustrated now, eyes down on her game and avoiding Akechi.

“He hasn’t. He isn’t much of a gossip. Anything I know about--” He glanced over at Sojiro, then back.

“Sojiro knows, it’s fine.”

“About the Phantom Thieves, I gathered from my own investigations mostly. I know that you were one of their targets and that you were a part of the group known as Medjed. I know that your mother was Wakaba Isshiki and that my father--” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Truly.” 

“I don’t want an apology, it’s-- It’s fine. There’s nothing I can do now, she’s gone.” 

“Still--”

“No. It’s fine.” A harsh silence fell over both of them again. “That’s not the point anyway. The _point_ is that, like, I get it. I know what it’s like to have a shitty childhood where nobody lets you act like a kid. I just kind of ignored that maybe you might have been in the same boat cuz I just assume you’re--” She gestured at him vaguely with her console, making it jingle. “ _Like that_ just to be annoying or because you think you’re better than everyone else.” Her voice grew quieter. “I know that’s not true. Or else Ren wouldn’t trust you as much as he does.”

Akechi sat, staring at her, in stunned silence, trying to form a coherent thought. He had been called stuck-up, pompous, holier-than-thou, arrogant, any array of insults many, many times in his brief stint in the public eye. But he had only recently sat down and attributed _all of that_ to his upbringing. He had seen it as a personal choice, an attempt to seem like he deserved his position, like he was mature enough to own it. When really he had simply been deprived of a chance to act his age. Futaba was the last person he expected to understand that. 

And then there was that comment about Ren knowing all of this and trusting him. 

“I thank you for your understanding. It seems we have more in common than I thought.” He kept his tone even, polite. He hoped it didn’t come across as forced.

“Yeah, yeah,” He barely saw Futaba’s cheeks tint pink before she flipped her hood up and hunched over more to hide her face with her game. “Let me teach you how to become a millionaire through beetle farming, like a normal person. Selling carps to Re-Tail only gets you so far.”

They broke off into small talk while they set up their games so Futaba could visit Akechi's town. Akechi was subject to more jabs about how undeveloped his town was, Futaba insisting he needed more fruit trees and custom paths and so on and so forth. Akechi simply smiled along and took her insults as friendly suggestions like he thought she must have intended. 

When she walked into his virtual home, she let out a shriek and nearly fell over from her crouched position in the booth. Sojiro looked over, an eyebrow raised, while she continued exclaiming nonsensically.

"Oh my _God_!" She turned her console to force him to look at it, waving it in his face. "It's so _argyle_! What _is_ this? Akechi! This is _not_ how God intended the custom patterns to be used!" 

Akechi stared incredulously at her and then at her screen, a confused smile on his face. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yes!" She wiggled her console again. "This is the worst house I've ever seen!"

"Excuse me, I think my house is coming together very nicely, considering the--"

"The _argyle_ ," Futaba took her game back to herself and dramatically put her head down on the table. "You're worse than Ren with his bizarre shark bonfire shrine." 

"His-- his _what_?" Akechi covered his mouth to partially hide his grin. 

Futaba lifted herself back up and returned her focus to her game, swiftly exiting his apparently dreadful house. "He has this weird room in his house that's just six shark tanks surrounding a bonfire and these Gyroids that play these creepy noises. Every time he goes in there he goes _welcome to SeaWorld!_ all quietly to himself. He's like a maniac." 

Akechi could no longer control his laughter and had to set his game down to cover his face with both hands, cackling. It was a laugh he would have been embarrassed about before, but now it felt like a natural reaction to such a situation.

When he recovered, Futaba was staring at him. 

"What?"

"Nothing, I've just… Never seen you laugh like that. Usually you just do that weird polite giggle thing." She looked away, eyes on the table. 

"I'm just happy." He rubbed some laughter-induced tears from an eye and took a deep breath before returning to his game to see Futaba digging holes all around his character to trap him. He smacked hers with a net and pushed her out of the way. "Now teach me about these beetles."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my precious friend Arri for the inspiration for this chapter. Ily dearly


End file.
